The House in the Cerulean Sea : Average Story with Wise Words!

Posted On October 30, 2021

Hi Readers! I recently read TJ Klune’s The House in the Cerulean Sea. Like many other books, this one also sat on my bookshelf for a long time. I finally picked it up to check off the last fantasy book off my Reading Challenge. And, I wasn’t disappointed. Even though the book sounds like it may be for children, there are so many life lessons in it for adults as well. Especially in the world we live in where everyone seems to have forgotten basic values like kindness, seeing the good in people, fighting prejudice, not being judgemental, believing in yourself & just what it is to be human.

~~GOODREADS DESCRIPTION~~

A magical island. A dangerous task. A burning secret.

Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages.

When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he’s given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days.

But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn.

An enchanting story, masterfully told, The House in the Cerulean Sea is about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place—and realizing that family is yours.

~~THOUGHTS~~

~~FANTASY FICTION WITH LIFE LESSONS~~

When it comes to witty fantasy fiction, authors usually go one of two ways. First is when the message is between the lines, like in Harry Potter or Six of Crows. And the second one is when it is written down in a straightforward manner, like in The House in the Cerulean Sea & Anxious People! I enjoy both of these kinds of writing styles. In this novel, all the messages read out in a bit more juvenile fashion, which feels natural because it is explained in that way to children. But, even though they are written out in a very non-subtle way, the content of these messages have a lasting impact. This is why it worked out perfectly well in this book.

~~CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT~~

There are a lot of characters in the novel. We have our main character Linus Baker, whose character development you can imagine in your head right when you are on Page 1 itself. When it comes to the children, you just want to get to know all of them. Be it Lucifer or Phee or Theodore or Chauncy or Sal or Talia. Because they are children, you only expect their innocence with a touch of fun. Watching them warm up to Linus was truly heart-warming. And, watching the slow & steady affection & love rise between Linus & Arthur was also lovely. Even Zoe, Helen & Merle were all colourful characters.

~~PREDICTABLE ENDING~~

Just like you can predict Linus’ character development, the kids warming up to Linus, Arthur & Linus being together, you can also predict the ending. The entire book is pretty predictable, but because of the beautiful story telling, it stands out from the other mediocre lot. Even when you read the blurb, you know how the story will go down. Because this is such a hyped book, I decided to ignore it & read anyway.

~~LOST POTENTIAL~~

I think the fantasy part of the novel was never really explored much. We had 6 magical children who each had their own set of distinctive personalities. But, there was probably only 1 thing which happened with each of them. This could have easily become a longer & somewhat darker book if all these magical creatures’ potential was written more in interesting stories which went along with the main story. If this book had a sequel, I would definitely love to see more of this.

~~TO READ OR NOT TO READ~~

Whether you should read The House in the Cerulean Sea is a great question. I think you should read it if you are looking for a light, fast-paced & interesting read. You should read it if you like fantasy fiction & especially love magical characters. I believe you can also read this book to your children to teach them about vulnerability. If you want to read in the LGBTQIA+ genre, then you can definitely give this book a try. But, you should not read it if you are a voracious reader with very high standards when it comes to books. Also, if you hate predictable stories, then this is not for you.

~~QUOTES from The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune~~

“I am but paper. Brittle and thin. I am held up to the sun, and it shines right through me. I get written on, and I can never be used again. These scratches are a history. They’re a story. They tell things for others to read, but they only see the words, and not what the words are written upon. I am but paper, and though there are many like me, none are exactly the same. I am parched parchment. I have lines. I have holes. Get me wet, and I melt. Light me on fire, and I burn. Take me in hardened hands, and I crumple. I tear. I am but paper. Brittle and thin.”

“Sometimes, things get chipped and broken, but there’s still good in them.”

“Being different is sometimes better than being the same as everyone else.”

“Just because you don’t experience prejudice in your everyday doesn’t stop it from existing for the rest of us.”

“Our prejudices color our thoughts when we least expect them to. If we can recognize that, and learn from it, we can become better people.”

“If we can’t laugh at ourselves, we’re doing it wrong.”

“Humanity is so weird. If we’re not laughing, we’re crying or running for our lives because monsters are trying to eat us. And they don’t even have to be real monsters. They could be the ones we make up in our heads. Don’t you think that’s weird?”

“The things we fear the most are often the things we should fear the least. It’s irrational, but it’s what makes us human. And if we’re able to conquer those fears, then there is nothing we’re not capable of.”

“The world is a weird and wonderful place. Why must we try and explain it all away? For our personal satisfaction?”

“Change often starts with the smallest of whispers. Like-minded people building it up to a roar.”

I did mention there were a lot of life lessons in this novel, didn’t I? Hope you liked reading through the quotes! I have rated The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune at 4/5 stars!

Until next time,